


Groupie

by wordsareleftbehind (froggydarren)



Series: In Another Life [7]
Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-06
Updated: 2013-06-06
Packaged: 2017-12-14 03:58:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/832451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froggydarren/pseuds/wordsareleftbehind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Darren’s on tour and Chris is his (maybe a little obsessive, though he likes to call it ‘dedicated’) fan. </i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Groupie

Of course there were fans all around the staff entrance, Chris observed with a disappointed look. He didn't allow himself to judge the girls because, after all, he only knew they were there since _he_ was also standing around, albeit a little more to the side, away from the excited crowd. He'd have been in the queue at the main entrance, but he'd not managed to snag a ticket for this particular gig. It probably would have seemed like too much, anyway, after the four he's already travelled to.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out, smiling immediately at the screen and his friends tweeting him silly little details about what was going on online. And then there was the text message from Ashley, to the point as she usually was.

_Got backstage yet, bunny?_

Chris couldn't hold back the groan at the nickname she'd decided was suitable because, per her explanation, he was as shy and quiet as a rabbit, and just as jumpy. He wasn't too impressed with her assessment, but he did have to admit to the shy part.

_Not likely. Still snooping for tickets to at least the gig._

Trying to preserve his battery on the phone, in case he did get in and they'd not stop him from taking pictures, Chris pulled out the tablet from his bag and quickly checked the ticket availability. Unfortunately, as before, he kept hitting the "sold out" wall or the "so expensive you'd have to sell a kidney or two" wall.

"Excuse me, sir?" an unfamiliar voice brought him back to reality and away from the tablet before he got lost in the world of blogging.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he stuttered, "I'll be out of the way," he added automatically, used to being told he was in a place he shouldn't be.

"Would you mind coming with me?" the man, a little older and significantly better built though not taller, said with a smile that put Chris at ease at the same time as it unnerved him.

"No, really, I'll be…" he tried to shuffle away from the area and it was then that he realized the face in front of him was familiar.

He'd spent enough time not only at the actual concerts in the past week, but also previously online and checking photos, to realize that the man in front of him was from the tour's security detail. Chris tried to mutter some more words but most of them were stuck in his throat.

Instead of trying to explain that despite his frequent appearances at gigs he wasn't a stalker but merely a fan, Chris dutifully followed the man away from the over-excited gaggle of fans. When they turned a corner and Chris spotter the tour bus parked out of the sight of everyone, he froze.

"Wait I… what?" his brain rummaged for words, any kind of words, something he could say to at least give a vague impression of a coherent human being, but all he ended up doing was gaping like a fish out of water.

"Come on, it's all good," the guard waved him on, a smile still on his lips, "You're not in trouble."

Chris gulped and reluctantly followed him to the bus, hands shaking and knees almost buckling underneath him. As they got closer, he glimpsed the sign on top of the bus, in bright happy colors.

' _Listen Up to Darren_ '

That was the official tour title, one that Chris had written in several places and did multiple scribbles and design sketches on in the run up to the actual tour. He'd not managed to win the competition for the tour design, but several people started using his design in posts about the tour. But now it was there, on the bus, his own sketch that he'd sent off to the management.

 _Darren's in there_ , it suddenly hit Chris, like it was something unexpected and shocking.

He was still staring at the sign on the bus when the door opened and the guard pointed to it with a sweep of his hand, urging Chris to go inside. The few steps up seemed to be insurmountable and Chris gripped the railing tight, nervous about what was expecting him inside, his breathing shaky and panicky.

"Oh cool, Dale found you!"

The voice rang through the confines of the bus and Chris' knees almost gave in there and then. His eyes were still adjusting to the dim light inside the aisle, but there was no mistaking the voice.

"Darren," slipped past Chris' lips in a hushed tone.

 _Darren Fucking Criss_ , he thought, _I'm in Darren's tour bus. He had someone look for me. HOLY SHIT._

It wasn't Chris who broke the sudden silence, but a different voice, filled with laughter and Chris finally blinked enough times to see the two people sitting in the lounge part of the bus, just past the bunks.

"Cute," the girl said with a genuine smile, " _Really_ cute, I believe you now."

Chris knew her as not only the band's back-up vocalist but also Darren's best friend and occasionally rumored girlfriend, Dianna. Before he managed to at least greet anyone and introduced himself she got up and slid past him towards the door, leaning in to whisper in Chris' ear as she passed.

"Go on, he's been looking for you for a while," she muttered, squeezed Chris' shoulder gently and pushed him a little towards the back of the bus.

"Hi, I'm Darren," said the curly-haired man as he took a step towards a still reluctant and shocked Chris.

"I know," Chris replied and immediately mentally slapped a hand over his face, "I mean, I…" his voice shook as he tried to find some coherent words in his mind, "I'm Chris."

"I know," Darren laughed, though Chris noted that there wasn't a hint of mocking in the response, "You're the genius who designed the sign up there," Darren pointed to the logo at the front, "Sorry we didn't use it, but my manager wanted to go with something less… I don't even know what."

Chris reveled in the sound of Darren's voice, his mind reeling and his hands still gripping the handle on the side of the aisle until his knuckles turned white. The fact that he was on the tour bus of his favorite musician, that said musician was actually talking to him and rambling away like they were friends, was still not quite registering with Chris' brain and he blinked a few more times to get his eyes to focus properly.

 _Goddamn he's fucking gorgeous_ , his mind supplied rather unhelpfully.

"Come on in, man," Darren reached out to grab the hand that Chris didn't have glued to a part of the bus and pulled him closer, landing them both on the couch with a soft thud, "I had to talk to you and say thanks for the design, that's why I had Dale find you. We tried to get to you in San Fran, I saw you in the audience but you ran off pretty fast after the show, didn't you?"

It was Darren's casual tone that finally snapped Chris out of his shock and he shook his head.

"Yeah, I had to," he gulped, "I wanted to make it to LA early."

He blushed at the admission, now aware that Darren knew he had been at the concert the night before and knew what Chris looked like.

"Wait, how did you… you knew who to look for… how did you know?"

It was Darren's turn to blush and stare at his hands for a brief moment.

"Yeah, I… saw your blog after you submitted the design," Darren admitted, "And I wanted to see the person behind the idea."

"Oh."

Chris was frozen, recalling the photos he posted online, few and far between as they were.

"Oh god," he gasped as he recalled the contents of his blog, obviously filled with photos of Darren and his music and the various posts Chris has made over time, "I'm so so sorry…" he stuttered, face burning with the blush that he couldn't hide.

"No, man, don't," Darren laughed, "It's pretty awesome, your writing is fantastic!"

"I'll just go and die now," Chris mumbled to himself, "I can't… oh god."

He was at a complete loss when it came to words, running over the design of his blog that was decked out in Darren's tour colors from the day of the first gig, through various only slightly disguised objectifying posts that he didn't resist through the time he had the blog up and running. When the bus door opened, Chris breathed out in relief, expecting to be sent back out to join the other unlucky people who weren't going to see the gig.

"Hey man," Darren waved to Dale, the guard, "Are we all set to go? Cool."

Chris clutched the bag on his shoulder and got up, still not able to look at Darren and blushing more than he ever thought possible.

"Chris?" Darren spoke up and Chris reluctantly turned to finally meet his eyes, "I've heard you didn't get a ticket for tonight…"

Chris' eyes flew open because he was pretty sure he didn't mention it in the stuttered attempt at conversation with Darren they just had, "How do you know that?"

"Blog, remember?" Darren pointed to the tablet that Chris didn't notice before, "I was…"

It was Darren's turn to blush and Chris couldn't help but find it endearing, as much as he managed to notice through yet another wave of panic that swept through him.

"So, anyway," Darren cleared his throat and held a hand out to Dale who was now right next to them, "We have one of these spare," he offered a laminated pass to Chris, "It's _All Access_ and if you'd want to… hang around after the gig, there's a party planned and Dale here could give you a lift. And I'm gonna shut up now and let you answer," Darren grinned sheepishly.

Chris was pretty sure he looked slightly insane, but he didn't have the strength to close his mouth or stop his eyes from darting between the pass and Darren.

"Are you serious?" he finally blurted out, still sounding shocked, "I mean, I can't…" he cursed his voice for hitching up to a squeaky tone, "This would be the best… amazing… no, really, are you serious?"

"As a heart attack, man," Darren breathed out and chuckled, "Wouldn't want you to have wasted a drive all the way out here."

"This is actually home," Chris mumbled, his fingers touching the cool laminate on the pass as he took it out of Darren's hand cautiously, "But even so, this," he managed to stop his hand from trembling and waved it between Darren and himself, "This would've made even the road trip to New York worth it. Not that I was planning to… oh _shit_ ," he realized what slipped from his lips and slapped the empty hand over his mouth.

"Now _that_ , that we can talk about later, if you're up for the party?"

The hopeful tone in Darren's voice was unmistakable and Chris found himself nodding. He knew he had to be up early the next day for a brunch meeting with Ashley and Lea who would pester him for details, but there was no way he'd say no to _Darren Criss_ asking him to come to a party. Chris was sure the girls would understand.

"Okay, I gotta run to do sound check, but with that pass, you can come in, as long as you don't get anyone to trip over," Darren laughed, "or as long as you don't fall over anything either."

With that and a squeeze of Chris' shoulder, Darren slipped past Dale and to the bus door, immediately triggering squeals and shouts from the few fans who managed to find the bus in the parking lot.

"I'm guessing you'll want to peek in on the set up and sound check?" Dale asked Chris and tore him out of the daze that was left in his mind after Darren's departure.

Chris only nodded, slid the lanyard of the pass around his neck and followed the security guard out and towards the gig venue, letting out a relieved breath when he saw that the fans had moved away once Darren disappeared into the building. The last thing he wanted was to cause a questioning tumblr riot, especially if a picture of him getting out of the bus would be posted online. He quickly texted Ashley and Lea to tell them he'd be busy and would talk to them the next day, knowing that they would assume he scored a ticket. Since they knew him well, he was sure they wouldn't pester him with texts for the next few hours as they knew that he didn't like to have his phone on or answer it when he was watching a show. When they both replied with short messages that amounted to "have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do", he slipped the phone into his jeans and let the excitement of being at the venue wash over him.

The rehearsals were fun to watch and Chris managed to not get in anyone's way, cause damage or attract unwanted attention to his relief. He couldn't help but chuckle when he realized just how much Darren censored himself when there was an audience present, whether it was on camera or during gigs. The difference showed up all the more before and after Darren spotted Chris in one or the seats on the top balcony, the language on stage immediately easing off on the cussing.

Chris knew there were meet and greets before the show started, so he continued standing off to the side, unsure of where he was supposed to go during the actual concert. He soon found, or rather was found by, Dale who let Chris know Darren wanted him to be in the seats usually reserved for family and close friends. So, still with apprehension, Chris slid into a seat that seemed the least visible for the public and tried to settle down and at the same time get hyped up for the show itself. The latter proved, unsurprisingly, a lot easier and by the time Theo jumped on stage to open up, Chris was singing along and smiling.

"Oh he wasn't exaggerating," a female voice reached Chris as someone slid into the seat next to him; "you _are_ adorable."

He turned quickly to the person next to him and gaped in shock as he realized that it was none other than Darren's tour manager Mia, who Chris knew was also one of Darren's closest friends. Chris managed to stutter a quick hello and introduction when she held out her hand to shake his, still smiling at him. He didn't miss the way her eyebrow was up at first and how she sized him up like she was wondering if Chris was worth Darren's time.

"Wait, Darren said _what_?" her initial words registered in Chris' brain and his jaw dropped yet again.

Mia chuckled again and rolled her eyes, "He likes you, plus he probably already admitted he's basically stalking you online."

Chris nodded absent-mindedly, his mind flying in various directions at his comment. To his temporary relief, Theo's set was drawing to a close and the noise in the venue was increasing exponentially, putting a stop to any and all conversations. He knew he'd not forget Mia's comments completely, but he set his mind on paying attention to the music and mostly, to _Darren_.

To experience the concert from the special guest seats was a treat and Chris managed to take photos, something he didn't do when he was in the crowd previously. He'd checked with Dale and Mia before he pulled out the high-quality camera and then snapped away, taking the pictures without checking much for their quality. The few he took a glimpse at looked pretty impressive and Chris knew his blog would be filled with them for quite some time. As the show progressed, he found himself singing along to more and more of the songs, even though he started off holding back to not look like an obsessed lunatic. But out of the corner of his eye, he caught everyone in the special guest area singing along with most songs, especially any covers that Darren sang, so he let go of some of his inhibitions. Darren was so captivating on stage that Chris figured no one would pay him any attention anyway, all the girls in the usual _and_ the special seats mesmerized by the man on stage, which rather painfully reminded Chris that while Darren was a showman and about as camp as he possibly could be, he was, rather regrettably for Chris, also completely, irrefutably if one was to judge by his romances and showmances, straight. Not that the internet didn't question it, especially with Darren's vague answers to any direct question on the topic and his admission that he had, back in his college days, kissed people of any available gender. But Chris wasn't going to let his hopes on that topic fly higher than they were tampered down to. He knew even if given the chance, he wouldn't have the courage to say anything to Darren anyway.

"You've a pretty good voice, too," Mia piped in during a short break between sets, when the music wasn't too loud, "I bet he doesn't know _that_."

"Why would… what?"

"Oh you'll see, I'm sure he'll blurt something out soon enough," she laughed and then it got too loud to hold a conversation again as the next set started.

Towards the end of the encore, Chris started getting antsy and debated whether to sneak away unseen or take Darren up on the party invitation. Once the last song began, he lost his chance on making a decision because Dale came up to him and said quietly that they needed to go. Chris nodded and let Dale lead him out of the venue and towards the tour bus that was parked with the door out of sight of anyone standing around hoping for a glimpse of Darren.

"Dude, awesome show!" Theo jumped in and chatted animatedly with the rest of the band, oblivious to Chris who was curled up on the couch, trying to look as small as possible.

Dianna was amongst the people who crowded the small space of the bus and she didn't miss Chris, "Oh hi Chris, good to see you again, I'm Dianna," she greeted him.

That made the rest of the band notice the extra person on the bus and Chris' mind reeled when they all not only introduced themselves to him, but praised him for the designs that he'd since noticed were on multiple other surfaces of the bus interior.

"Such a pity we couldn't pull off these for the show itself, they're amazing," Theo commented, "You should work with something like this, man."

Chris shook his head, "I think I'll stick with writing," he muttered and for a second thought that Dianna was throwing him a look that was more amused than it really should've been.

"You write? As in, actual stories and books?" one of the guys said with amazement, "Dude, respect, I can't even string together an original tweet."

"Well, that one's not really an easy feat," Chris shrugged, "getting an important… or funny… thought into the character limit."

With that, they all fell into an easy conversation, with Chris barely noticing how much time had passed with Darren not in the bus yet. When he tried to bring it up without looking too suspiciously nosy, the band brushed it off by mentioning how Darren never wanted to leave a venue without stopping by the fans that waited outside the gates. Chris nodded, remembering the accounts from the previous gigs and the hilarious comments on Darren trying to take a hi-five run along the barriers on at least one occasion.

"He won't be much longer," Dianna whispered into Chris' ear when the guys fell back into conversation.

Chris attempted to shrug it off, but instead his cheeks heated up with a blush that his pale skin wasn't able to hide.

"Fucking awesome show, guys!" Darren's voice finally rang through the bus and Chris startled at the way it boomed over the noise of everyone else talking.

There was a lot of cheering and hi-fiving amongst the band and Darren, but it didn't take too long for Dianna to shift away from Chris' side to make space for a grinning Darren.

"I'm so glad you're joining us," Darren leaned in to speak directly into Chris' ear, "I was really hoping you wouldn't split."

Chris shivered at the feeling of Darren's breath on his neck but somehow managed to get his wits together and not let his nerves show, "Well, Dale didn't give me much of a chance, kidnapping me during the encore," he laughed with as much lightness as he could muster.

"Oh man, he didn't, like, force you or anything, did he?" Darren's face turned serious as his eyes darted to Chris.

"No, I did come voluntarily," Chris replied and immediately blushed as the innuendo registered.

"Did you?" Darren chuckled and lifted an eyebrow, "I didn't realize my gigs were _orgasmic_ , though with some of the girls in the crowd…"

"Shut up, you," Chris nudged Darren's shoulder playfully, "I'm sure there are plenty of highs that your audience reaches during your shows."

"And you would know this _how_?"

"I very much doubt it's _me_ you want those details from," Chris muttered almost inaudibly.

He thought for a second he heard Darren say something back but when he turned, all he was faced with was a head of curls as Darren had turned away to say something to Dianna. He didn't connect the dots when moments later, after the bus stopped at a hotel where the band had rooms for the night, everyone filed out after Dianna made her way around whispering something to each of them. They waved to Chris and most of them mentioned a "see you later" to Darren _and_ Chris. Dianna was the last to leave and winked in Chris' direction, causing him to scrunch his eyebrows in confusion.

"Quiet at last," Darren sighed and scuffed his shoe against the rough carpet in front of him.

They were silent for a while, Chris still frowning because Darren seemed to be hyping himself up for saying something important and Chris couldn't think of a reason why the man would be nervous.

"Chris, I…" Darren sighed and took a deep breath, then turned to face Chris, "The invitation to the party still stands, but I wanted to ask something else."

Chris didn't say anything when Darren shifted a little bit closer.

"Were you really planning to road trip to the East Coast for the other half of the show?"

The blush that Chris had finally managed to shake off returned in full force with that question and he couldn't hold back the nod.

"It was more likely the bus or train," he admitted sheepishly, "I don't drive, so…"

Darren's lips turned up in a smile, "I wanted to offer something. You can turn it down, you can tell me it's an insane idea, but I'd… I'd really like you to at least think about it."

"What is it?" Chris' voice was barely a whisper as various scenarios played in his head.

"It's not like we _have_ a spare bunk, so we'd need to figure out sharing and shit, but," Darren's eyes dropped to the floor again, "Since you're heading that way anyway and I would really like to talk to you more and the guys aren't always riding the bus or there's the car that drives along so we'd be able to have some peace sometimes… wouldyouwanttojoinusonthedrive?"

Chris was pretty sure his jaw got dislodged as he caught the question at the end of Darren's ramblings.

 _Did Darren just ask me to join them on tour?_ He shook his head in disbelief, _No fucking way!_

"Wh-what was that?" he asked instead, eyes wide open and his voice shaking.

"Would you," Darren looked up again, "Would you join us on the bus? I mean, we'd have to be discreet at venues because people would come up with ridiculous rumors, but I'd really like for you to come with us."

Chris thought he wouldn't be able to breathe right again. He gripped his knees and pressed the fingers into them to not only hide the way his hands were shaking but also to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"You," his voice faltered, "You want _me_ to come on tour with you?"

Darren nodded and looked at Chris, hope and a pleading expression in his eyes.

" _Fuck yes_ ," Chris breathed out and then slapped a hand over his mouth, mortified.

"Hey no," Darren whispered, "Don't do that," he pried Chris' fingers from his face and added to Chris' shock by lacing their fingers together, "I like that mouth," he blurted out and promptly blushed, "I mean… I…"

Chris bit his lip and grinned sheepishly at Darren's admission, but he didn't trust himself to speak without either losing his voice or making an absolute fool out of himself. He didn't protest when Darren got up without letting Chris' hand go and pulled him along out of the bus.

"Oh thank god, I was starting to get worried," the familiar voice was filled with laughter.

"Mia…" Darren said with an unconvincingly warning tone.

"Run along boys," she ignored Darren and waved them on, "I'll lock up, the party's in Theo's room tonight."

Chris felt the pull on his hand and followed Darren, still incredulous about what was happening.

 _Well at least if I'm dreaming, it's one to remember_ , he mused, unable to wipe the bright smile off his face.

Darren led them towards an elevator and pulled Chris close even though it was empty. When it started moving, he ran the thumb of his free hand along Chris' jaw and took a deep breath before he spoke.

"I… before we join the others and Dianna steals you away," Darren whispered, "I wanted to… can I…?"

He didn't say the words out loud but the brush of Darren's thumb along Chris' bottom lip told him pretty clearly what question wasn't asked and he nodded almost imperceptibly. Darren stretched up on his toes and brushed his lips against Chris'.

"God I hope I'm not dreaming," Chris gasped out when Darren pulled away.

"I hope not," Darren chuckled, "Or else you're the hottest dream _I_ have ever had."

The elevator dinged and Chris felt his cheeks still burning as Darren pulled them towards Theo's room, the grip on Chris' hand a little firmer than before.


End file.
